Two workers were injured at the Air Products plant in Luling Monday morning after company officials say a hydrogen gas release sparked a fire at the St. Charles Parish facility shortly before noon.

St. Charles Parish Emergency Operation officials say the fire and chemical release were contained on-site and did not pose a threat to the public.

The hydrogen gas was released around 11:40 a.m. and residents reported hearing a loud noise, parish officials said.

The hydrogen production facility, which is located near Monsanto, produces industrial gas and chemicals. A spokesman for Air Products said the release occurred during the start up of a hydrogen off-gas plant, which purifies industrial gases containing hydrogen.

That plant was shutdown, company spokesman Art George said.

"We do not know the cause of the energy release at this time and will conduct a thorough investigation,'' George said. "The main hydrogen production facility was unaffected by the energy release and remains in operation."

George said he didn't know how many employees were at work when the release and fire occurred, nor did he know the extent of the workers' injuries.

However, one New Orleans television station, citing parish emergency operations officials as the source, said one of the employees received burns to 40 percent of his body and the other injured a hand.

George said employees were able to contain the gas by shutting off the flow valves, but that he did not know how much gas was released before the valves were shut down.